Is Ireland a Republic?

[Alliance]

...in the strictest sense of the word?

Was just reading through the preamble in the Irish Constitution which goes:

In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred,

As I understand it, republican philosophy demands that political authority flows from "we the people" (I'm aware that the phrase comes right after the above). If there is some higher authority, as in Ireland and some so-called Islamic republics, then it seems to me that the authority of the people can be negated and is no longer republican. I remembered the late Billy Mitchell who once said that the United Kingdom is actually a just a Crowned Republic in so far as it is firmly under the control of "we the people" as given representative expression in Parliament. The Queen's Speech-in-Parliament is nothing of the sort. IN a consitutional monarchy, the role of the Crown is purely symbolic. If Charles did ever become King he has has he'd be happy to be the "defender of faiths" and this may well see an end to the idea of Catholics being unable to take the Crown.

I dunno...just putting it out there. I expect to shouted down

[CelticAtheist]

The preamble has no power.......

[Slartibuckfast]

re·pub·lic Audio Help /r??p?bl?k/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ri-puhb-lik] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.
2. any body of persons viewed as a commonwealth.
3. a state in which the head of government is not a monarch or other hereditary head of state.

[Alliance]

The preamble has no power.......

It clearly had a meaning, otherwise there'd have been no reason to include it. As a Christian, it doesn't burn my eyes to see it there, but I was just thinking of that and the idea of pure Republicanism.

There was a proposed revision of the Consitution in the early 70's which was:

“We, the People of the Irish Republic,
Acknowledging the inherent dignity of the human
person and the rights deriving therefrom,
Seeking to promote and sustain within our country
the brotherhood of all,
Desiring to contribute by deed and example to peace in the world,
Recognising that the institutions of government must be ordered to these ends,
So that freedom and justice may be established upon the
foundation of equal rights, equal opportunities and equal duties,
And so that concord may be attained with other nations,

Hereby enact this Constitution.”

The group who devised it under the auspices of the Irish Theological Association (hard to believe isn't it!?) included:

Enda McDonagh Maynooth, TC Kingsmill Moore Judge, Sean McBride (Senior Former Republican), GBG McConnell Presbyterian Minister, Louis McRedmond former ed of Irish Independent, Mary Robinson Senator

I also understand that the Consitution of the Free State, which I believe Collins penned was devoid of religious wording.

Just thinking about this also in the context of today when Ireland (and Europe) is a multi-cultural and multi-faith society and how this serves the people of different faiths.

[Alliance]

1. a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.

however poetically it may have been meant, the preamble of the Consitution seems to contradict the above. I'm not looking to start attacking the Irish state. Just thinking out loud I suppose after I read the preamble for the first time today.

[fergalr]

No, Queen Mary siezed power in a quiet coup there over the Bank Holiday weekend from Aras an BeanRi...

[Alliance]

No, Queen Mary siezed power in a quiet coup there over the Bank Holiday weekend from Aras an BeanRi...

say what?